In a night that Chinese football fans will want to forget, the Chinese national team faced a tough 7-0 defeat against Japan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC qualifier at Saitama Stadium 2002 on Thursday. 😔
Japan came out strong with Takumi Minamino netting two goals. Wataru Endo, Kaoru Mitoma, Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda, and Takefusa Kubo also added to the scoreboard, showcasing Japan's offensive power. 🇯🇵🔥
The stats tell the story: Japan took 17 shots with 9 on target, converting 7 into goals. They dominated possession with 77.2% compared to China's 22.8%, and led in corner kicks 5-2. China's team managed just one shot without hitting the target. 😕
It's been 26 years since China's last victory over Japan, and this loss marks their second-biggest defeat in international play, following an 8-0 loss to Brazil in 2012. 🥅
\"We specifically focused on defense during our pre-match preparations, but we conceded too many goals during the game, and some of those should not have happened,\" said China's head coach Branko Ivankovic. \"Twelve of the players on this national team are relatively new to international competition. The opponents in the final stage of Asian qualification are very strong, and such important games are valuable experiences but also serve as lessons for younger players.\"
In other Group C action, Bahrain pulled off an upset over Australia with a 1-0 win, and Indonesia held Saudi Arabia to a 1-1 draw. The battle for the top two spots, which secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, is heating up! 🔥🏆
China's journey isn't over yet, and fans are hoping for a comeback in the upcoming matches. Keep your heads up, team! 💪
Reference(s):
China's coach Ivankovic on 7-0 loss to Japan: 'most difficult night'
cgtn.com
